Drying apparatus for cans



(No Model.) l l2 sheets-Sheet 1.

H. SGHAAKE.'

\ .DR-YING APPARATUS FOR G'ANS.

No.A 557,029. Patented Mar. 24, 1896.

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H. ESCHAAKB. DRYING APPARATUS FOR CANS. No. 557,029. Patented Mar. 24, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY SCIIAAKE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

DRYING APPARATUS FOR CANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,029, dated March 24, 1896.

Application filed May 16, 1895. Serial No. 549,517. (No model.)

To O/,ZZ whom it 7er/ty concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY SCHAAKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented vcertain new and useful Improvements inV Drying Apparatus for Cans; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of said invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it most nearly appertains to make, use, and practice the same.

The present invention relates to a certain new and useful dryingl apparatus, it being more especially designed for the drying' of cans as received from the bath of a testingmachine, the purpose of the apparatus being to dry all moisture or water adhering to the cans as passed from the bath of the tester, so as to provide against the metal becoming coated with rust, which would occur in case the cans were stored away while moist or wet.

In order to fully understand my invention, reference must be had to the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein- Figure l is a top plan view of the apparatus with upper portion of the casing removed, the rotatable table being partly broken away, so as to disclose the arrangement of the heating-coils and drive mechanism for the adjustable table. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view in elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the drier with the top or cover removed. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the feed-chute for delivering the cans to the drier and the deiiecting plate or bar for throwing the cans from a horizontal into a vertical position, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view showing a portion of the drier and the discharge-chute for receiving dried cans as delivered from the drier.

The outer casing of the drier I construct circular in shape and preferably of wood, it consisting of the top A, bottom A', and side A2, the inner wall of the casing being given a lining B, of asbestos or other non-conducting material, so as to provide against loss of heat by radiation. This casing is about twelve and one-half feet in diameter and the interior thereof about eighteen inches in depth, although the same may be constructed of any desired size.

In order to economize floor-room, I preferably secure the drier overhead, the casing be` ing secured to the beams B3 of the roof or ceiling of the establishment.

The interior of the outer casing is divided into an upper chamber, B', and a lower chamber, B2, by means of the rotatable tables C and C. The table C is the larger and in diameter about twelve feet, while the table C is only about one-third the diameter of the table C, or four feet. This table C fits within a circular opening cut Within the table C, Figs. l and 2. Each table is driven or rotated by independent mechanism, as hereinafter described. v

Within the lower chamber, B2, is spirally wound or coiled the heating pipe or coil D4, which pipe enters through the wall of the outer casing and is spirally wound within the chamber B2, so as to provide a number of heating-coils of pipe, and after being arranged into a series of coils is led from the chamber B2 through the central or discharge opening ct, cut through the bottom of the drier, Fig. 2. Through this pipe is conveyed hot air or steam, the heat radiated from the coiled pipe during the passage of the hot air or steam therethrough serving to impart the necessary amount of heat to the drier. The heat radiated from the coiled pipe is not confined within the lower chamber, B2, but makes its escape therefrom into the upper chamber, B', through the perforations a cut through the rotatable tables C C.

The rotatable tables C C are supported and held in place a distance above the coiled heating-pipe by means of a series of rolls b, which rolls are journaled in brackets b', secured to and projecting upwardly from the bottom of the casing. For the purpose of providing against the lateral movement of the rotatable tablesor plates I cast each table with the downwardly-projecting circular rib d, which rib iits within the grooved periphery d of the supporting-rolls, Fig. 2. A

To the under face of the rotatable table C, near its inner periphery, is secured the depending iiange D, which flange is provided with the gear-teeth D', Figs. l and 2, with which mesh the teeth of the driving-gear D2.

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This gear is secured to the inner end of the -Y vertical shaft D2, which extends through the bottom of the outer casing and projects within the chamber B2. To the lower end of the shaft is fastened the pulley-wheel E, which is rotated through the medium of a belt. (Not shown.) As the shaft D3 is rotated, the inotion thereof is transmitted to the rotatable table C through the medium of the gear D2 and geared flange D The inner rotatable table, C, is centrally apertured, through which opening E the dried cans escape into the discharge-chute E2. To the under face of the rotatable table C' is secured the annular depending lange E3, the lower edge of which flange is provided with the gear-teeth E4, with which teeth mesh the teeth of the gear F. This gear is fastened to the inner end of the shaft F and is driven by the gear D2, the teeth of which mesh with the teeth of the gear F, the motion of which is transmitted to the rotatable table C' through the medium of the geared flange flange serves as a guide for the cans as discharged from the rotatable table C', Fig. 2.

Tithin the upper chamber, B', I arrange in the form of a coil the band F2, which forms a serpentine passage-way F2, Fig. 2, the width of a can-body. This band starts at the point l, which is the entrance of the opening for the cans, and continues in the form of a coil until the discharge-opening E is reached, thus providing a continuous serpentine passage-way for the travel of the cans through the chamber B. This band consists of a metallic strip one-half an inch in thickness by about one inch in width, and when coiled within the chamber B it rests upon the rotatable tables. This band is held in place by means of the brackets II, depending from the arms II', which arms are secured to the under face of the top or cover A of the casing.

The cans after leaving the testing-machine are conveyed to the drier by means of the runway or chute H2. As the cans are about to be delivered into the drier through the opening l, it is desirable that they be thrown from a horizontal into a vertical position, so as to stand upright upon the rotatable table. For this purpose I place within the lower end of the feed-chute what I term the deiiecting rods or plates 71. 7L', Figs. l and 4, which are run at such an angle as to gradually throur or tilt the cans from a horizontal into a vertical position. As the can leaves the feedchute it enters the drier through the opening 3 and is placed upon the rotatable table C in an upright position. Inasmuch as this table is continuously rotated in a horizontal plane, (the direction of its rotation being indicated by the arrow,) it is obvious that the can will be carried within the serpentine passage-way F2, formed by the coiled band F2, and gradually forced toward the discharge-opening E.

As the can-body is carried beyond the point 2, Fig. 3, it is forced over upon the rotatable table C', and by the movement or rotation of this table is carried to the discharge-opening E. This table, being about one-third the diameter of the larger table C, is geared so The inner wall of this annular as to rotate with three times the speed of the larger table. Consequently while the larger table makes, say, one revolution per minute, the smaller table will make three revolutions per minute. My obj eet in giving greater speed to the inner table is that the cans may be carried through the serpentine passageway with the same or approximately the same peripheral speed and the cans be prevented from crowding against each other. I nasmuch as the circumference of each coil reduces, it is obvious that if only one rotatable table be employed the speed of the traveling cans will greatly reduce as the discharge-opening of the drier is reached and the discharge be at a less speed than the feed of the cans. Cousequently in a short time the drier would become lled and the cans crowd each other and jam. By providing the smaller or inner rotatable table, which rotates with three times the rapidity of the larger table, the cans will be received upon the table at approximately the same peripheral speed as received by the larger table from the feedchute. Consequently the travel of the cans through the drier will be approximately at a uniform speed. As the cans are carried through the chamber B they are subjected to the action of the heat contained therein, which is radiated from the coils of the heating-pipe D4, Vwhich thoroughly dries the cans. After the cans reach the discharge-opening E they will have traveled within the serpentine passageway-a distance equal to about one hundred and thirty-five feet, depending upon the size of the drier.

As the can moves between the last coils of the band or plate F2 it is gradually thrown from a vertical to a horizontal position by means of the plate H3, Figs. 3 and 5, which plate is arranged within the last convolution of the passage-way F3 at an inclination toward the discharge-opening. Consequently the can,while being gradually tilted or thrown from a vertical to a horizontal position, is also forced over the discharge-opening. The can as passed through the discharge-opening is received into the discharge-chute or runway E2 and is carried by the said runway to any suitable place of deposit.

While I have described my invention for the purpose of drying cans, it is obvious that the same may be utilized for drying any articles or material where it is desirable that the article or material to be dried be kept continuously moving.

I am aware that changes may be made in the arrangement of parts and details of construction herein shown and described without creating a departure from my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure protection in by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a can-drying apparatus, the combination with the outer casing, the rotatable tables secured therein (said tables dividing the interior of the casing into an upper and lower ICO IIO

chamber) mechanism for imparting movement to the tables, the coiled heating-pipe arranged in the lower chamber of the casing, the coiled plate or band arranged in the upper or drying chamber so as to form a continuous serpentine pathway within which the cans travel, the feed-chute for delivering the cans upon one of the rotatable tables and the discharge-chute for receiving the cans as discharged from the drier.

2. In a drying apparatus for cans, the cornbination with the outer casing, the dryingchamber, the continuous serpentine pathway for the cans arranged in a horizontal plane within the drying-chamber and devices which receive the cans as fed into the drying-chamber and carry the same within the horizontally-arranged serpentine pathway until discharged i'rom the drying-chamber.

3. In a drying apparatus for cans, the combination with the drying-chamber having a continuous serpentine pathway arranged therein in a horizontal plane, the horizontally-rotatable mechanism for receiving the cans as fed into the drying-chamber and carrying the same within the continuous serpentine pathway until discharged from the drying-chamber and devices for supplying heat to the drying-chamber.

4. In a drying apparatus for cans, the combination with the stationary outer casing, the rotatable tables secured within the casing and dividing the same into an upper and a lower heating chamber, a continuous serpentine pathway arranged within the drying-chamber within which pathway the cans are conveyed from the feed-opening of the drier to the discharge-opening and mechanism for imparting movement to the rotatable tables so as to convey the cans. through the continuous pathway.

5. In a drying apparatus for cans, the combination with the drying-chamber, of a pathway horizontally arranged therein within which the cans travel from the feed-opening of the drier to the discharge-openin g thereof,

and mechanism which receives the cans as fed into the drying-chamber and conveys same within the horizontally-arranged pathway until the discharge-opening is reached.

6. In a drying apparatus for cans, the combination with the drying-chamber having a serpentine passage-way arranged therein, an inner and an outer rotatable table for receiving the cans and conveying the same through the passage-way of the drying-chamber, the outer table receiving the cans as fed into the drying-chamber and carrying the same part way through the passage-way and the inner table receiving the cans from the outer table and carrying same through the remaining portion of the passage-way and depositing the dried cans within they discharge-opening of the drying-chamber and of mechanism for imparting approximately the same peripheral speed to the rotatable tables.

7 In a drying apparatus for cans, the conibination with the outer casing having its inner walls lined with a non-conducting material so as to provide against radiation, an upper drying-chamber,a lower heating-chamber for supplying heat to the drying-chamber, the feed-inlet opening through which the cans are fed into the drying-chamber, the discharge-opening through which the cans make their escape from the drying-chamber, of a continuous serpentine pathway leading from the feed-inlet opening to the dischargeopening and arranged within the dryingchamber in a horizontal plane, and mechanism for receiving the cans as fed through the inlet-opening into the horizontally-arranged pathway of the drying-chamber and conveying the cans through said pathway and delivering the dried cans to the discharge-opening of the drier.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY SOHAAKE.

Witnesses:

N. A. ACKER, ELMER WICKEs. 

